


Peanut Butter & Jelly

by bookwyrmling



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-25
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-19 21:52:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11906931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookwyrmling/pseuds/bookwyrmling
Summary: Every game day ritual has to start somewhere.





	Peanut Butter & Jelly

It wasn’t that he didn’t like them, it was just that Jack would rather have something else as a pre-game meal. Like chicken nuggets; those were always good. “A pb&j sandwich will keep much better,” his mother argued as she made it for him, “You know you don’t like chicken nuggets when they get soggy.”

That was true, but…still…

“You know, son, pb&j sandwiches are perfect hockey game day sandwiches,” his father cut in instead, “Especially when your mom makes them.”

“Why?”

“Well, peanut butter has protein in it and you know how protein is good for you, yeah?” his dad asked.

“It helps build muscles,” Jack replied, curious as to where his father was going and happy to know the answer to this question.

“That’s right. And hockey players need lots of muscles and lots of protein.”

“But chicken nuggets have protein, too,” Jack frowned.

Alicia glared at her husband and Bob grinned at her, trying to calm her down. He had this. Alicia worked on spreading the preserves on the other piece of bread.

“Yes, but do you know what else a pb&j sandwich has?”

“Jelly?” Jack tremuled, wondering if this was some sort of trick question.

“Yes!”  Bob smiled with pride, “And jelly has simple carbohydrates in it.”

That was where he lost his son.

“What?”

“Er….small? sugars?” Bob tried again, his eyes on his wife for confirmation. Alicia nodded and Bob sighed in relief.

“But isn’t sugar bad?” Jack asked, face pinched and chubby cheeks puffed in a confused pout.

“A lot of sugar is bad, but some sugar is important to have,” Bob spoke sagely, “Your body makes energy with sugar. So when you have small sugars, your body can use them fast to make fast energy. Like at the start of a hockey game.”

Jack seemed to think on that for a while, but nothing he knew said what his father was telling him was wrong, so he nodded and asked, “What about later in the game?”

“You see, later in the game is when you need the big sugars.”

“…Big sugars?”

“Yeah. Big sugars are stored in your body to make energy when the small sugars are all used up,” Bob explained, “So you have energy for even longer.”

“How do I get big sugars?” Jack asked, excited and fully taken in by his father’s explanation.

“By eating the bread in the sandwich!” Bob answered, just as caught up in his poor explanation as his son. The science wasn’t quite right, but it was close and it seemed to be changing Jack’s mind about the sandwich.

“So the jelly gives you energy right away, the bread gives you energy for later on and the protein helps build muscle,” Bob explained, “Or, if you run out of the big sugar, your body can use the protein to make energy for even later. So pb&j sandwiches are really good game day meals.”

Jack’s eyes were wide, his jaw dropped in awe at his father’s knowledge and, even more so, at his mother for making the sandwich in the first place.

“But do you know what makes pb&j sandwiches the absolute best game day food?”  Bob asked in a conspiratorial whisper as he leaned in towards his son.

“What?” Jack whispered as he leaned in, as well.

“Your mom makes them with all the love she has for you,” Bob stage whispered into his son’s ear, grinning at Alicia as she rolled her eyes and tried to stop the grin on her face.

She failed and Bob’s smirk only grew as he leaned away enough to see the awed look in his son’s face as he hopped out of his chair and ran around the island and up to his mother.  “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Alicia replied with a smile to her son’s overexcited calls, putting down the knife and crouching down so they would be at the same level.

“Is it true?”

Alicia laughed and nodded her head, because, for the most part, it was true enough.  “I put all my love into the sandwich because I want you to have so much fun, playing,” she added as she pulled her son in for a hug and a tickle.

Jack laughed and shrieked until he escaped and Alicia stood up to cut the sandwich in half and stick it in a bag.

“And so we’ll win?” Jack asked.

“Winning is nice, too,” Alicia added, but the score would never matter to her if her son was out there enjoying himself.

Jack seemed to think heavily on everything he’d heard before nodding. “Alright, I’ll eat the peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” he decided as he took the lunch sack his mother handed him, “But, Mom; if we win you have to make one for every game.”

“I’ll make one for you every game no matter the score, baby,” Alicia promised, “And it will always have all my love.”

Jack grinned and chubby hands crinkled the sack they clenched. “Okay,” he agreed, “but especially if we win!”

“You got it,” Alicia winked before turning her boy around and giving him a nudge towards his father, “Now go so you aren’t late. I’ll be watching from the stands.”

Jack’s team won that day and when adults told him how well he’d played, he smiled and said it was because of his mom’s sandwich.

**Author's Note:**

> My CP tumblr is rushingsnowy. Come scream with me!


End file.
